Heating plant



S. RIA

HEATING PLANT Oct. 5, 1948.

5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 1, 1946 INVENTo/P, EYMON ,Q1/1

HTTOENE Y Oct. 5, 1948.

Filed oct. 1, 194e gag.

S. RIA

HEATING PLANT I5 Sheets-Sheet 2 :zel

S. RIA

' HEATING PLANT Oct. 5, 1948.

Filed ct. 1, 194e 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 /Nl/fNToa EYMON @la M@ 0"\ thrill/Y IqTTNEYJ atented Oct. 5, 1948` HEUNG PLANT .Seymon Ria, Seattle,-Wash. i

Application October 1,

1946, lserial No. '106,439

'.4 claims.' (ci. 21a-38) "This Vinvention relates to improvements in` space' heaters, and itv has reference more particularly to electric heaters designed for room or residential heating purposes and which are oi thatfltypecomprising a heat storage body 4with means' for sup `1ying heat controlling the dissipation of the stored yheat from the body.

It is the principal object Aof provide an'improved heater of the above stated character wherein the heat storage body is contained within an insulated case, or housing, oi novel composition having an air inlet andan outlet through which air irom the area to be heated maybe caused to circulate in contact with the heat storage body for heatingvtherebyyand which openings are equipped with closure means whereby the circulation may be controlled and whereby the housing may be closed tightly against escape of the heat when such is heat.

It is. also an object of this invention to provide heat storage bodies for such' heaters with heating elements embedded therein so that all heat from the elements willbe received by the storage bodies and wherein contactsurfaces of substantial areaare provided for the dissipation of stored heat to the'air that is circulated throuogh 'the' housing. l

It is also an object of the invention to provide a heater of the character above described that is equipped for the automatic control of the doors or closures for the housing passages so that the circulation of air through the housing may be thermostatically controlled in a manner to maintain a specified temperature within the heated room or area.' Also, wherein means separate from the above thermostatic means is provided for controlling theheating of the heat storage body.

Yet another object of theinvention is to provide a heater that may be built up in a various number of units to meet normal or special heating requirements.

this invention to Still another objectresides in the provision oi'I an enclosure or housing` for heaters of this character from slabs and blocks that are composed principally of thatmaterial known as"Scoria to insure maximum insulating effect and economical production.

vStill furtherr objects of l'the invention reside in the details of construction of parts, in their relationship and'combination in use, and in the mode of operation of the heater as will hereinafter be fully described.

In accomplishing these and other objects oi thereto and means for* desired to conserve g the invention, l have'provide'd-the improved detailsoi construction, the preferred forms of which are illustratedr in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figfl isa perspective view of a heaterembodie'd by 'the' present invention.

Fig. 2 is a'perspective view of'the same'with parts of the housing or insulating casingfbroken away for better illustration of enclosed parts; this view showing for the` air passagesare operativelyconnected.

Fig. 3 is a partial vertical section of the device.

Fig. 4 is a vertical section` on line 4--4 in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a horizontal section, taken online .in liig` 3.

- Fig..6 is a horizontal section taken online'VS-E in Fig.;3.

' Fig. '7 is a horizontal'sectional detail, illustrating .the enlarging of the" housing for use' ci additional heat storage elements.

Fig. *8' is a wiring diagram equipmentoi the device.v l.

f It will here be explained that heaters of this kind may be made in various sizes to embody one or,Y more of thepresent heat storage bodies. 'Furthermore, they may be made-to operatefon lnatural circulation of air, or equipped withians, or blowers, to obtain va be found necessary or desirable.

Infthe present drawings, I have shown a simple form of room heater which embodies the principles of the present invention therein, and later Ilwill explain how this unit might be enlarged'or expanded to'satisfy greater heating requirements. Reierringxmore in detail to the drawings- In the present illustration, l0 designates, in its entirety, the insulating vhousing or casing of the heaterr and Il designates a storage body that is contained' within the housing. The'r housing slabs that are `pre-Least', or'moldedfrom a'he'at insulating material, and for vthis purpose I prefer to use fragmentary lava; known' as which, mixed'with la cement type' binder, provides a quick-setting, light and ydurable material.

whichhas very high 'insulating value.

In the building up of the housing l0 in `as'mall heater Yof the kind'shown in'Fig. 1, Il preierto use four base'blocka'herein ydesignated by reference numeral l2. These blocks are alike in sizer and form, and are assembled in pairs.

iniFiglG that eachbloclr` has a rounded outer-end or nose'portion,1as at 12a and, atits inner end, f has a verticaltongue I'2b "at one side.

the linkage whereby the closures `front elevation' and partial' for the electrical forced circulation, as 'may' two-'unit ,heatl It is shown aced in parallel, spaced relationship as shown able wire or strip of resistance material wound in Fig. 6. At the front side of the housing, it is on an insulating plate or carrier. desirable that a grill such as that designated by The heating elements 35 of these blocks 30 is to be employed, l0 control relay 38. Under control of an airstat 39 the main body of the housing. 'I'his also is built of the storage body.

up of precast sections or slabs of Scoria, and the Contained within the space between the paired binder, comprising a face or side portion I6 that sets of base blocks, is a door 50. This door is has a length corresponding to the distance from hingedly attached at its rear edge, as at 5l in outside to outside of the paired sets of base blocks, Fig. 4, and may be swung upwardly and closed together to form a rectangular enclosure, as in be swung downwardly t0 all Open position for a sections are tongued and grooved, as at i8, to at 53, to swing into and from a position closed bledsections may be erected upon this lower set ends of the passage through the stack-like casto build up the housing in to a desired height. in ing, are inter-Connected by linkage presently dethe present structure, as Seen 1n Figs 2 and 3, I 30' scribed to cause them to open and close in unison.

20 in the various views, to maintain alignment Control mechanism known in trade as a modueud insure rigidity of construction trol and embodied in the control box 54, that is The upper end of the housing I0 is closed by located in the back portion of the open Space bea cast cap block 25. This is of Scoria and is tween the base blocks as seen in Fig- 4, and is the previously mentioned Opening that is formed such manner that the door will be caused to move Located within the stack-like housing, as Closed all a designated 100m temperature and formed by the various blocks, is the heat storage Opened all a loWer temperature when heat is body Il. This body, as herein shown, comprises reqll1`ed two rectangular blocks 3U of like size and disposed The fiuto-Cyn is oeotiolly Connected With the une upon the other, as best shown in pige 2 and ircuit wires 36 and 37 through a transformer sages 3| therein and these passages of the two The llnkage whereby the JWO doors are C011- blocks are in registration in the assembly to pro- 5o neoted to Operate in 111115011 is shOWH best 111 Figs vide two vertical stacks or passages therethrough 3 and 4, wherein 1t is shown that a bell crank The horizontal dimensions of the blocks an are eo Oteliy connected i0 elink 12 which in turn is pivpassages 3|, provide for the upfiow of air through otally mounted at one end in a stud 75 xediin the housing for heating by contacting the surfaces the housing wall just below the upper door. The

ported upon the two pairs of base blocks, as will ShOWIl and described, provides that, with the be understood by reference to Figs. 2 and 5, and opening and closing of the lower door, the upper spans the space between them. door will be moved -c Each of the heat storage blocks 30 is cast of tween its closed and open position-s. When both soapstone or other suitable material mixed with doors are tightly closed, no heat can escape from a suitable cement-like binder, and embedded in the storage body, but as the doors are opened, to

riore or less extent, circulation of air upwardly `hrough the body I I is permitted accordingly and ieating of the air will take place by dissipation oi neat from the air contacted surfaces to the air ;tream.

When such devices are to be used for heating large areas, then they may be made in multiple units of two or more stacks placed side to side as has 'been illustrated in Fig. 7 and the height of the stacks may be increased as desired or required. To expand the casing to accommodate the two or more stacks of' blocks 3B, I add the insert slabs or blocks, designated by reierenee numeral 8ll in Fig. 7, between the blocks I2. Also, it is anticipated that forced circulation might be used in connec'tion with heater-s of this kind and this would be accomplished by forced delivery of air by any well known means, into the inlet passage.

For house heating use, forced circulation is most practical and the heated air might be piped from the outlet to various points of distribution as is now done in the usual types of residence heating systems using hot air.

It is anticipated that in the building of such heating devices, the outside surface of the assemsbled blocks will be covered with a thin layer of a suitable cement or plastic to add insulating effect thereto and to close all joints and cracks, thus to add to the appearance of the device as well as to increase its effectiveness.

Having thus -described my invention, what I claim as new therein `and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A heating plant of the character described comprising a heat insulated housing forming a stack-like enclosure having an air inlet at its lower end and an outlet at its upper end and through which an air stream may be caused to flow, a body oi heat-absorbing material sllpllorted in said housing and extending from its lower end height thereof, and so related to the housing walls as to provide vertical air passageways between the bodi7 surfaces and the housing walls for direct upflow of air from the in let to said outlet, means for electrically heating said body of material, doors arranged within the housing to tightly close said passageways at upper and lower ends of said body of heat-absorbing material and thermostatically controlled means for actuating the doors between open and closed positions.

2. A heating plant of the character described comprising a heat yinsulated housing forming a stack-like enclosure having an air inlet at its lower end and an outlet at its upper end and through which an air stream may be caused to flow, a body of heat-absorbing material supported in said housing and extend-ing from its lower end substantially to the height thereof, and so related to the housing walls as to provide vertical air passageways between the body surfaces and the housing walls for direct uprlow of air from the inlet to said outlet, means for electrically heating said body of material, doors arranged within the housing to tightly close said passageways at upper and lower ends of said body of heat-absorbing material; said doors being hingedly mounted and there being linkage connecting them whereby they are caused to open and close in synchronism, and a thermostatically controlled means operatively connected with one d-oor for moving it between open and closed positions.

3. ,In la heating plant of the character described, a stack-like, insulated housing formed at its lower and upper ends w'th openings for inflow and outflow of air therethrough7 a body of heat-absorbing material Idisposed within said housing and providing air passageways about it and having vert-ical passages therethrough, electrical heating elements embedded in said body, a source of electricity, circuit connections for supplying current from said source to said elements, doors composed of heat insulating material hingedly mounted in the housing and adapted to be moved to closed positions to enclose the said body =between them againts heat dissipation, and to Ibe adjustably opened to control flow of air through the housing passages in contact with said body, an auto-cyn for actuating said doors between open and closed positions, and thermostatic meansvcontrolling the aut-o-cyn.

4. A heating plant as in claim 3, including also a thermostatic means independent of that for controlling the auto-cyn, for controlling the flow of current to the said heating elements.

SEYMON RIA.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the OTHER REFERENCES Dana et al., Engg. Bulletin lege of Washington, July, 1935.

No. 46, State C01- 

